KAYSVILLE – Residents of Kaysville, Fruit Heights and beyond could make use of a new library two years from now.

That’s the projected timeline for the new library that will rise at Heritage Park in downtown Kaysville.

It will have three times the public space of the current facility, including plenty of space for storytime and other patron services, Library Director Chris Sanford said.

FFKR Architects of Salt Lake City has been selected by the county commission, and planning should get more intense by the end of the month, she said.

Kaysville’s Mayor Steve Hiatt is very happy at the preliminary progress.

“They’re bursting at the seams,” he said. “The community is excited about it. We’re excited with the time frame,” he said.

The mayor added praise for the firm.

“We’re confident they will share a vision that will fit Kaysville’s heritage,” he said.

Sanford said that was one of the strong points of FFKR, which has architect Michael Leishman among its principals.

“He was very involved with some of our other projects, including Centerville,” she said.

That branch was designed to reflect the orchards that had been an area mainstay. The Kaysville Library is being built in a park that is being created to reflect that city’s history.

The $4 million facility will include 15,000 square feet, including 12,000 square feet for public use. The existing 6,000 square foot facility includes the LeConte Stewart Art Gallery, which the mayor said would be retained.

The branch’s collection of books and other items, now maxed out at about 62,000 items, is set to grow to 75,000 to 80,000 by opening and could be expanded from there.

A spring 2014 construction start is planned, hopefully allowing for adequate work to be completed before the next winter hits, Sanford said.

Of the current branch, Hiatt said no decisions have been made about any future use. The city owns that building.

“There are no immediate plans, but other departments may have a use for it,” Hiatt said. “The struggle is that the building is nearly 70 years old,” potentially limiting which departments could use the space without major expense to retrofit the space.

“It’s a real piece of our heritage which we want to preserve and make available for the public to enjoy,” Hiatt said.